Middle and Adolescence Development - Essay Example

Peer group is a social organization which has significant influence on the social development of the child. If the family and the school impose theculture of the group, in the peer group the child learns many things willingly. “In the middle childhood 30% of a child’s interaction involves peers, compared to 10%in early childhood”.( Rubin, Bukowski & Parker 1998). During this period children’s major concern is acceptance by their age mates and membership in a gang, especially a prestigious gang, in the eyes of their age mates.

Because of this concern for getting absorbed into the group, children are willing to conform to norms approved by groups in terms of appearance, speech behavior. Peer relations are related to the formation of friendly group. The number of friends during this age is greater than any other age. This formulation is also similar to Maslow’s need for belongingness. The middle age peer relation concerns for the communal needs of acceptance by peers and avoidance by rejection. These communal needs include, affection, intimacy companionship, support etc.

(Buhrmester, 1996). The adolescent shows increased influence of peer group than a middle childhood. During the transition period, the children usually reject old friends and come to new relations. Girls are more likely to accept new friends than boys. The middle childhood friendship is based on easiness to handle the friends. But in adolescence the relation is based on commonality. Peer rejection is painful during adolescence more than middle childhood. Thus though the emotional relations he slowly learns that the previously believed things are wrong The adolescent picks up the habit and social qualities of his companion.

Peers influence his interests, attitude and values. The social behavior of an adolescent is controlled by the peer group. During this time the peer relation inculcates the sense of loyalty, sympathetic attitude and willingness to obey the social rules and regulation. In the peer group the adolescent learns to co-operate, to lead and follow, to think for a common cause and adjust in the challenging social situations. From the peer relations he begins to formulate and revise his concept of self.

They form clique and clubs very common to tighten their bond or exclude somebody. Unlike in the middle childhood the adolescent behaves purposefully to achieve something from the peers or to bring problems to others also. But this kind of experiences is future lessons for them. Thus it becomes true that the eminence of associations between adolescence and their peers play an important role in their present and future execution. Good company helps him to learn good qualities while a bad company provides opportunities to spoil him and turn him into an antisocial personality.

It is studied that the peer relation is closely associated with their culture and environment they exists. It is proved that the adolescence are less influenced by peers if they have strong relations with their parents.( Steinberg & Silver berg, 1986) Thus it is clear that the parent shave the foremost role in shaping the future of their children. . Bibliography 1.Rubin K H, Bukowsky, W &Parker J .G (1998). Hand Book of Child Psychology: vol – 1.New York: Wiley 2. http://www.associatedcontent.com. 3 http://family.jrank.org